Thoughts, observations and questions on HPB

[dudemom_2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 133633

Message 133219 
--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Mindy" <MindyCL at v...> wrote:
>  
>  Hi, it's Mindy from Brooklyn, NY checking in.
> 
> Snip< 
> My observations on the book as a whole:
> 
>Snip< 
> The Half-Blood Prince was just a red herring. It was just a title, 
a small part of the plot. I kept waiting for it to be a main plot in 
the book, but it never was. That was bothersome too.

*****\(@@)/*****

In a round about way this book did concern Snape - certainly more of 
his story than we have seen before. I think the main plot of the 
book, as always is Harry. 
*****
>Mindy: 
> In typical Mindy fashion, I read the last chapters first and was so
> thoroughly disgusted I wanted to throw the book down then and 
there! But I did read it and did enjoy it. I am not so disturbed by 
Dumbledore's death and there has to be a real reason for JKR doing 
it - which we shall have to hang tight for two years to discover.

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I know several people who did exactly as you did! I cannot bring 
myself to do that because the "getting there" is one of the biggest 
thrills of reading for me. Definitely JKR has a reason for DD's 
death/sacrifice. This is, after all, her story and imagination and 
we have been invited to share it with her, not write it with her. I 
would love to have the last book tomorrow but certainly the wait 
will make reading the last book so enjoyable!
*****
>Mindy: 
> What I did like about the book though:
> 
> * Draco has become more human and I actually feel sorry for him 
now.

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I wonder at being shown suddenly how piteous Draco is. I see Draco 
having a chance of redemption and as DD said it was all about the 
choices we make. It will be interesting to see what happens to Draco.
*****
>Mindy: 
> * I was so happy that Dumbledore and Harry got to spend so much 
time together the entire year - it was a really fitting goodbye. It 
would havve been > awful had Dumbledore gotten killed in the fourth 
or fifth book when they didnt spend that much time together.

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I got the sense that DD knew his time might be up and that Harry is 
old enough and strong enough to handle a lot of the information he 
needed to pass on. Also I felt he was definitely testing Harry when 
he had Harry retrieve the memory from Slughorn. Obviously DD is 
talented enough to finagle or trick someone into giving the memory 
so there would be no point to Harry doing it unless DD had something 
to impart to Harry. And Harry passed with flying colors!
*****
>Mindy: 
> Did anyone else notice that:
> 
> * Harry never got his wand back at the end of the book?

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US p605 Harry did find his wand amongst the dirt and twigs just 
before he went to help Hagrid. (I had to really look and nearly 
missed it!)
*****
>Mindy: 
> * Slughorn referred to Ron as RUPERT in Hagrid's shack - isnt that
> hysterical? It was probably intentional by JKR, no?

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I think this time she put several little touches in like that. I so 
love her humor!
*****
>Mindy: 
> Unanswered questions I have - if these have not yet been answered 
can someone try answerin them for me please? thanks.
> 
> * Why did Dumbledore finally give Snape the DADA job if he refused 
to give it to him each year? Did he have a feeling there would be no 
school the next year or Snape would have to leave somehow? Wasnt 
Snape afraid to take a jinxed job?

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Snape did say that DD didn't want him too close to the Dark Arts in 
case he would be tempted. However, I think DD had a purpose in 
letting Snape finally have the job. Certainly he would known that 
things were coming to a head and certain outcomes were going to 
happen. I just have the strongest feeling that DD and Snape may have 
had a pact to do just what they did if certain events took place. 
And certainly we must say the DADA job is jinxed because Snape 
didn't last out the year!
*****
>Mindy: 
> * Why did DD look for Snape so urgently when he got back from that 
cave?
*****\(@@)/*****
I think DD knew he was on borrowed time and he needed Snape there to 
prevent Draco from completing the deed and sealing his fate - DD has 
given Draco a chance at redemption. I think DD knew far more what 
was going on at Hogwarts then he ever revealed and knew this would 
be the outcome...
*****
>Mindy: 
> * Dumbledore appeared to already know about about horcruxes since 
he kept running around looking of them. So - why drive harry nuts to 
find the memory if he knows what a horcrux is?
*****\(@@)/*****
Again, I had the sense that DD was training and testing Harry. DD 
was one of the most accomplished wizards of the time and could have 
gotten the information himself, but how would that have helped 
Harry, especially if Harry ends up alone as he has? Harry needs to 
learn to stand on his own feet and DD has shown him how.
*****
>Mindy: 
> * why didnt Harry take the Felix Felicis before setting out for 
the cave? how did dd know where the cave is?
*****\(@@)/*****
I think there was a very limited amount of the Felix Felicis 
available and Harry gave it to those he perceived would need it 
more. He was after all with DD and trusted that DD would see them 
through anything.
*****
>Mindy: 
> * DD didnt get smashed and bloodied from such a high fall? He 
looked whole..
*****\(@@)/*****
I think he did - US pp 608-609. DD was spread-eagled with arms and 
legs at strange angles and had a trickle of blood from his mouth. 
*****
>Mindy: 
> *What really happened to his hand? It got injured when he picked 
up the ring?

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I think the hand got injured when DD destroyed the Horcrux within 
the ring (which doesn't bode well for poor Harry if he has to 
destroy them too)
***** 
>Mindy: 
> * I'm finding it very hard to believe that Lord Voldemort really 
entrusted a 16 yr old underage wizard the task of killing the 
biggest wizard ever- didn't he think he'd chicken out the way he did?
> aren't there enchantments in the castle to prevent things like the 
vanishing cabinet to be used?

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I definitely think LV was punishing Lucius by making Draco do this 
task. Also it was another way of bringing Draco into the fold. I 
think the DEs had to do terrible things to prove to LV they were 
trustworthy. How perverted to use a child.....especially since LV 
must have know that Draco would probably fail. The cabinet was 
broken and of little to no use until Malfoy realized its connection 
with the one in the shop and repaired it. Also because the cabinet 
was found in the Room of Requirement I would imagine Malfoy got 
there by desiring to get to items that were no longer working or of 
no use.
*****
>Mindy: 
> * Where is this mysterious house that Snape was in? Isn't he in 
Hogwarts all summer?

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I would assume Spinners End is a family home of Snape. We don't 
really know what the teachers do during the summer but I would 
imagine they don't necessarily stay at the school unless like 
Trelawney it is actually their home.
*****
Mindy:
> How was polyjuice potion so readily available in the potions 
class? Whose hair was in it, and how could Crabbe and Goyle be 2 
different girls if it was one polyjuice? Too farfetched to me...
> Mindy

*****\(@@)/*****
Obviously Slughorn brewed it for his Potions demonstration, but I 
bet he never dreamed anyone would take some. The item of the person 
you wish to imitate is added just before the potion is drunk so all 
Draco had to do was give Crabbe and Goyle their portions with 
different first year girl's hair/or other item in it. I bet they 
were not in on what Draco was really doing and were extremely 
uncomfortable and embarrassed!

Dudemom_2000

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